Tamper-Proof Pill Dispensing System and Methods of Use

ABSTRACT

A pill dispensing system and associated methods are configured for managing the distribution of pills to a patient. In at least one embodiment, an at least one tamper-proof pill storage container provides an at least one pill magazine positioned within a housing of the pill storage container and configured for storing and selectively dispensing a plurality of pills through a pill outlet provided by the housing. A patient application, residing in memory on an at least one patient device under the control of the patient, is in selective communication with the at least one pill storage container. An at least one monitoring device is in selective communication with the patient application, the at least one monitoring device configured for assisting the patient application with monitoring an at least one vital of the patient.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part application and so claims the benefitpursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120 of a prior filed and co-pending U.S.non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/882,803, filed on Jan.29, 2018, which itself claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) toand is entitled to the filing date of U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 62/451,634, filed on Jan. 27, 2017. The contents ofthe aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The subject of this patent application relates generally to medicationdispensing devices, and more particularly to a tamper-proof pilldispensing system and associated methods of use.

Applicant hereby incorporates herein by reference any and all patentsand published patent applications cited or referred to in thisapplication.

By way of background, opiods include prescription drugs such asoxycodone (OXYCONTIN®, OXECTA®, ROXICODONE®), oxycondone andacetaminophen (PERCOCET®, ENDOCET®, ROXICET®), hydrocodone (HYSINGLAER®, ZOHYDRO ER®), hydrocodone and acetaminophen (LORCET®, LORTAB®,NORCO®, VICODIN®), hydromorphone (DILAUDID®), meperidine (DEMEROL®),methadone, codeine, morphine, and fentanyl as well as illegal drugs suchas heroin. Studies have found that a person dies from an opioid overdoseroughly every 20 minutes, and roughly 30,000 people die a year. It is anepidemic that difficult to treat. Over 90% of people who overdose onprescription painkillers continue to use them and this use cost theUnited States 78.5 billion dollars in 2013.

Government policies to limit opioids will not treat pain nor stem theaddiction problem. It will worsen the problem for addicts and compliantpatients. Those who cannot get opioids turn to heroin, which is becomingincreasingly more dangerous with the addition of Car-Fentanyl. Studiesfrom the CDC show that roughly 100 million people are taking opioids forchronic pain, and the government wants to limit their access to opioids.Those 100 million patients need a solution to prevent their opioids usedfor their treatment of pain from being taken away from them.

Doctors write prescriptions correctly; pharmacists fill prescriptionscorrectly; patients receive a bottle of opioids containing 30 to 120pills of opioids, and therein lies the problem. The patient can take 1pill or 120 pills. Patient compliance is a problem. This is furthercompounded by the sharing of opioids or sharing of excess opioid pills.Most of those who abuse prescription opioids obtain them for free from afriend or relative. However, those who are at highest risk of overdose(using prescription opioids non-medically 200 or more days a year)obtain them in ways that are different from those who use them lessfrequently. These people obtain opioids using their own prescriptions(27 percent), from friends or relatives for free (26 percent), buyingfrom friends or relatives (23 percent), or buying from a drug dealer (15percent). Those at highest risk of overdose are about four times morelikely than the average user to buy the drugs from a dealer or otherstranger.

Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide furtherrelated advantages as described in the following summary.

It should be noted that the above background description includesinformation that may be useful in understanding aspects of the presentinvention. It is not an admission that any of the information providedherein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, orthat any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention teach certain benefits in constructionand use which give rise to the exemplary advantages described below.

The present invention solves the problems described above by providing apill dispensing system and associated methods configured for managingthe distribution of pills to a patient. In at least one embodiment, anat least one tamper-proof pill storage container provides an at leastone pill magazine positioned within a housing of the pill storagecontainer and configured for storing and selectively dispensing aplurality of pills through a pill outlet provided by the housing. Apatient application, residing in memory on an at least one patientdevice under the control of the patient, is in selective communicationwith the at least one pill storage container. An at least one monitoringdevice is in selective communication with the patient application, theat least one monitoring device configured for assisting the patientapplication with monitoring an at least one vital of the patient. Inuse, the system is configured for obtaining from the patient a securitycode and an at least one biometric marker associated with the patient. Aprescription associated with the pills, including a dosage interval anda dosage quantity, is registered with the system. Upon the patientapplication determining that a dosage of the pills is available for thepatient, based on the associated dosage interval, the patientapplication notifies the patient via at least one of an audible alert, avisual alert and a vibrational alert via the at least one patientdevice. The patient application then obtains from the patient thesecurity code and the at least one biometric marker. Upon the patientapplication authenticating the security code and the at least onebiometric marker, the patient application transmits a signal to the atleast one pill storage container, instructing said pill storagecontainer to distribute a quantity of pills equal to the associateddosage quantity. Upon the pill storage container distributing the pillsto the patient, it transmits a signal back to the patient application,and the patient application schedules a future dosage of the pills basedon the associated dosage interval. In the event the patient applicationdetermines that the at least one monitored vital is abnormal, thepatient application notifies the patient via at least one of an audiblealert, a visual alert and a vibrational alert via the at least onepatient device, and temporarily suspends future dosages of the pillsuntil the patient application determines that said monitored vital hasreturned to normal

Other features and advantages of aspects of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following more detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of aspects of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate aspects of the present invention.In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic view of an exemplary tamper-proof pilldispensing system, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic view of a further exemplarytamper-proof pill dispensing system, in accordance with at least oneembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for dispensing pillsusing the exemplary tamper-proof pill dispensing system, in accordancewith at least one embodiment;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a further exemplary pill storagecontainer, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the pill storage container of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of a pill magazine of the pill storagecontainer of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4D is a side view of the pill storage container of FIG. 4A;

FIGS. 5A-5O are illustrations of exemplary user interfaces as displayedby an exemplary patient device, in accordance with at least oneembodiment;

FIGS. 6A-6D are images of a further exemplary pill storage container,illustrating the sequential process of replacing an exemplary pillmagazine, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIGS. 7A-7C are images of a still further exemplary pill storagecontainer, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIGS. 8A-8C are further images of the exemplary pill storage containerof FIGS. 7A-70;

FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic view of a further exemplarytamper-proof pill dispensing system, in accordance with at least oneembodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a further exemplary method for dispensingpills using the exemplary tamper-proof pill dispensing system, inaccordance with at least one embodiment.

The above described drawing figures illustrate aspects of the inventionin at least one of its exemplary embodiments, which are further definedin detail in the following description. Features, elements, and aspectsof the invention that are referenced by the same numerals in differentfigures represent the same, equivalent, or similar features, elements,or aspects, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a simplified schematic view of anexemplary tamper-proof pill dispensing system 20 configured for managingthe distribution of pills 14 to an at least one patient. In at least oneembodiment, as discussed further below, the system 20 provides an atleast one tamper-proof pill storage container 12, and an at least onepatient device 1 in selective communication with the at least one pillstorage container 12, with each of the pill storage container 12 andpatient device 1 in the possession or control of the associated patient(or a designated, authorized surrogate such as a nurse, a family member,a law enforcement officer, a substance abuse counselor, an aide,etc.)—for simplicity purposes, the user will be referred to generallyherein as “patient.” In at least one embodiment, and as discussedfurther below, the at least one pill storage container 12 is controlledremotely by the associated at least one patient device 1. In at leastone embodiment, as discussed further below, the patient device 1 is alsoin selective communication with an at least one clinician device 8 inthe possession or control of a participating clinician tasked withmonitoring the patient's proper consumption of the pills 14. It shouldbe noted that, in at least one embodiment, the term “clinician” isintended to generally include any type of medical professional ormedical entity which might be tasked with monitoring the patient'sproper consumption of the pills 14—including but not limited to aphysician, a nurse, a pharmacist, and an electronic medical recordsystem.

At the outset, it should also be noted that the respective communicationbetween each of the at least one tamper-proof pill storage container 12,at least one patient device 1, and at least one clinician device 8 maybe achieved using any wired- or wireless-based communication protocol(or combination of protocols) now known or later developed. As such, thepresent invention should not be read as being limited to any oneparticular type of communication protocol, even though certain exemplaryprotocols may be mentioned herein for illustrative purposes. It shouldalso be noted that the terms “patient device” and “clinician device” areintended to include any type of computing or electronic device, nowknown or later developed, capable of communicating with one another asdescribed herein—such as desktop computers, mobile phones, smartphones,laptop computers, tablet computers, personal data assistants, gamingdevices, wearable devices, etc. As such, the system 20 should not beread as being limited to use with any one particular type of computingor electronic device, even though certain exemplary devices may bementioned or shown herein for illustrative purposes.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, in the exemplary embodiment, each ofthe at least one tamper-proof pill storage container 12, at least onepatient device 1, and at least one clinician device 8 contains thehardware and software necessary to carry out the exemplary methods foradministering the pill dispensing system 20, as described herein. In atleast one embodiment, the at least one patient device 1 provides apatient application 3 residing locally in memory 9 on the patient device1, the patient application 3 being configured for selectivelycommunicating with at least one of the at least one pill storagecontainer 12 and the at least one clinician device 8, as discussedfurther below. It should be noted that the term “memory” is intended toinclude any type of electronic storage medium (or combination of storagemediums) now known or later developed, such as local hard drives, RAM,flash memory, secure digital (“SD”) cards, external storage devices,network or cloud storage devices, integrated circuits, etc.Additionally, the various components of each of the at least one patientdevice 1 and clinician device 8 may reside on a single computing and/orelectronic device, or may separately reside on two or more computingand/or electronic devices in communication with one another. In at leastone alternate embodiment, the functionality provided by the patientapplication 3 resides remotely in memory on the at least one cliniciandevice 8 (or a server in communication with the at least one cliniciandevice 8—hereinafter collectively referred to as the clinician device 8for simplicity purposes), with the at least one patient device 1 capableof accessing said functionality via an online portal hosted by theclinician device 8 and/or server, either in addition to or in lieu ofthe patient application 3 residing locally in memory 9 on the at leastone patient device 1. It should be noted that, for simplicity purposes,the functionality provided by the patient application 3 will bedescribed herein as such—even though certain embodiments may providesome or all of said functionality through an online portal. It shouldalso be noted that, for simplicity purposes, when discussingfunctionality and the various methods that may be carried out by thesystem 20 herein, the terms “patient device” and “patient application”are intended to be interchangeable. In at least one embodiment, the atleast one patient device 1 provides an at least one display screen 10for providing an at least one graphical user interface to allow theassociated patient to access and utilize the various functions providedby the system 20. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, the at leastone patient device 1 provides an at least one biometric sensor 2, thepurpose of which is discussed further below. In at least one suchembodiment, the at least one biometric sensor 2 is at least one of afingerprint scanner, a facial recognition system (i.e., a camera withcorresponding facial recognition software), an iris scanner, and aretinal scanner. In still further embodiments, the at least onebiometric sensor 2 may be any other type of biometric sensor now knownor later developed. In at least one alternate embodiment, as illustratedin FIG. 2, the at least one pill storage container 12 provides the atleast one biometric sensor 2. In at least one embodiment, as alsoillustrated in FIG. 2, the at least one pill storage container 12further provides a combination lock 11. In at least one alternateembodiment, the combination lock functionality is implementedelectronically by the patient application 3 via the display screen 10 ofthe patient device 1.

FIG. 1 also illustrates the internal components contained within ahousing 19 of the at least one pill storage container 12, in at leastone embodiment. In that regard, it should be noted that the particularsize, shape and dimensions of the housing 19 shown in the drawings ismerely exemplary and is being shown for illustrative purposes. Infurther embodiments, the housing 19 may take on any other size, shape ordimensions now known or later conceived—for example, a square orrectangular box, an oval container, an oblong container, a cylindricalcontainer, or a pen-shaped container. With continued reference to FIG.1, in at least one embodiment, the pill storage container 12 provides anat least one pill magazine 13 positioned within the housing 19 andconfigured for storing and selectively dispensing a plurality of pills14 through a pill outlet 5 provided by the housing 19. In at least oneembodiment, the pill magazine 13 is spring-loaded. In at least onealternate embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D, the pill magazine13 is in mechanical communication with a drive shaft 16 positioned andconfigured for ejecting a pill 14 from the pill magazine 13 through thepill outlet 5. In at least one such embodiment, an at least one battery17 is in electrical communication with a solenoid 18, and a magazinedrive shaft 15 is in operable connection with the drive shaft 16, whichin turn is in operable connection with the solenoid 18. In still furtherembodiments, the pill storage container 12 may provide any othermechanism or combination of mechanisms, now known or later developed,capable of ejecting a pill 14 from the pill magazine 13 through the pilloutlet 5.

In at least one embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C and 8A-8C, thehousing 19 further provides a selectively lockable outlet cover 22positioned and configured for selectively restricting access to the pilloutlet 5, as discussed further below. In at least one embodiment, asbest illustrated in FIG. 1, the housing 19 further provides an actuator4 configured for causing a pill 14 to be ejected from the pill magazine13 through the pill outlet 5. In at least one such embodiment, theactuator 4 is a button. However, in alternate embodiments, the actuator4 may be any other mechanism or combination of mechanisms, now known orlater developed, capable of mechanically or electrically causing a pill14 to be ejected from the pill magazine 13 through the pill outlet 5. Inat least one embodiment, the housing 19 further provides a wirelessmicrocontroller 6 and a power source 7. In at least one such embodiment,the power source 7 is at least one of an internal battery, an externalbattery, and an AC/DC electrical plug.

In at least one embodiment, the pill storage container 12 provides an atleast one tamper-proof substance positioned and configured forselectively rendering the pills 14 inert, inactive or intolerable to thepatient in the event the pill storage container 12 or the pill magazine13 is tampered with. In at least one such embodiment, the tamper-proofsubstance is cyanoacrylate configured for being released and coating thepills 14 in the event the housing 19 of the pill storage container 12 orthe pill magazine 13 is physically compromised—i.e., if an attempt ismade to access the pills 14 in any way, when access to the pills 14 isotherwise not permitted. In at least one embodiment, the cyanoacrylateis at least one of methyl cyanoacrylate, ethyl cyanoacrylate, N-butylcyanoacrylate and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate. In another embodiment, thetamper-proof substance is methyl methacrylate configured for beingreleased and coating the pills 14 in a gel in the event the housing 19of the pill storage container 12 or the pill magazine 13 is physicallycompromised or exposed to water.

In at least one embodiment, as illustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 3as well as the exemplary user interfaces of FIGS. 5A-5O, through thepatient application 3 residing either locally in memory 9 on the atleast one patient device 1 or remotely on the clinician device 8, uponthe associated patient utilizing the system 20 to manage thedistribution of their prescribed pills 14, the patient application 3first determines whether the associated patient is new to the system 20.If the associated patient is new, the patient is required to properlyregister a new user account with the system 20 via the patientapplication 3—or, alternatively, via any other computing or electronicdevice capable of communicating with the system 20. As part of theregistration process, the patient is asked to provide select detailsrelated to at least one of the patient's personal information, as wellas a security code and an at least one biometric marker associated withthe patient (such as a fingerprint, a facial image, a retinal image, oran iris image for example). In at least one embodiment, the patient isalso provided with the at least one pill storage container 12, which isthen associated with the patient device 1 for enabling selectivecommunication therebetween, as discussed further below. In at least oneembodiment, the pills 14 are loaded into the pill storage container 12(via the pill magazine 13) by an authorized clinician, to better ensurethat the patient will not attempt to misuse or share the pills 14. Ifthe pills 14 are associated with a new prescription, the patientapplication 3 requires the patient (or the clinician) to register theprescription with the patient application 3. In at least one suchembodiment, the patient is able to register the prescription by scanningor inputting a unique prescription code into the patient application 3,with the prescription code containing the necessary information relatedto the prescription distribution, including a dosage interval (i.e., theamount of time between distributing the pills 14) and a dosage quantity(i.e., the quantity of pills 14 to be distributed at each dosageinterval). In at least one such embodiment, the patient is able toregister the prescription by scanning a visual barcode (such as a QRcode, for example) using a camera 24 of the patient device 1. In atleast one embodiment, the patient application 3 encrypts each of thebiometric marker, security code and prescription code with a unique hashvalue (such as a random number, in at least one embodiment) to be storedin each of the patient device 1 and the associated pill storagecontainer 12, thereby creating a unique link therebetween. In this way,only the associated patient device 1 is capable of transmittinginstructions to the pill storage container 12, with the associatedpatient device 1 itself only being accessible by the associated patient,based on the patient's unique biometric marker and security code, whichbetter prevents anyone else from accessing the pills 14.

In at least one embodiment, after the prescription has been registeredwith the patient application 3, the patient application 3 provides acountdown timer or otherwise notes the date and time for the next dosage(based on the associated dosage interval) via the display screen 10 ofthe patient device 1. Upon determining that the next dosage is availablefor the patient, the patient application 3 notifies the patient using atleast one of an audible, visual and/or vibrational alert via the patientdevice 1. In at least one embodiment, the patient is required to providethe appropriate biometric marker via the at least one biometric sensor 2and also input their security code via either the patient application 3or a combination lock 11 provided by the pill storage container 12. Inat least one such embodiment, the patient must provide the appropriatebiometric marker within a finite, pre-defined period of time—such aswithin five minutes from the patient application 3 notifying the patientof the dosage availability, for example—else the pills 14 will not bedistributed to the patient for that dosage interval. Additionally, in atleast one such embodiment, the patient must input their security codewithin a finite, pre-defined period of time—such as within one minutefrom the patient providing the appropriate biometric marker, forexample—else the pills 14 will not be distributed to the patient forthat dosage interval. Additionally, in at least one such embodiment, thepatient application 3 requires the patient to provide the appropriatebiometric marker and the security code in sequence. Upon the patientapplication 3 authenticating the provided biometric marker and securitycode, the patient application 3 transmits a signal to the pill storagecontainer 12, instructing the pill storage container 12 to distribute aquantity of pills 14 equal to the associated dosage quantity via thepill outlet 5. In at least one embodiment, the pill storage container 12will only distribute the quantity of pills 14 after the patientactivates the actuator 4 positioned on the housing 19 of the pillstorage container 12. In at least one embodiment, where the housing 19of the pill storage container 12 provides a selectively lockable outletcover 22 positioned and configured for selectively restricting access tothe pill outlet 5, the outlet cover 22 is temporarily unlocked to allowthe patient access to the pill outlet 5. In at least one suchembodiment, the actuator 4 must be activated by the patient within afinite, pre-defined period of time—such as within five minutes from thepatient application 3 notifying the patient of the dosage availability,for example—else the pills 14 will not be distributed to the patient forthat dosage interval. Upon the pill storage container 12 distributingthe pills to the patient, the pill storage container 12 transmits asignal back to the patient application 3, and the patient application 3schedules the next dosage based on the associated dosage interval. In atleast one embodiment, the patient application 3 also records the date,time and dosage quantity, which can be subsequently reviewed by thepatient or an authorized clinician. In at least one such embodiment, thepatient application 3 utilizes blockchain to securely store this data,so as to maintain a tamper-proof record that may be reviewed by theauthorized clinician. In at least one embodiment, if the patientattempts to obtain pills 14 during any time other than the scheduleddosage times, the patient application 3 informs the patient that theymust wait until the next scheduled dosage time.

In at least one embodiment, the patient device 1, via the patientapplication 3, can also securely transmit the data to the at least oneclinician device 8. In at least one embodiment, an authorized user ofthe clinician device 8 can change the patient's prescription—includingthe associated dosage interval and dosage quantity—and communicate thechanges to the patient application 3. In at least one embodiment, theclinician device 8 is capable of securely transmitting other messages tothe patient application 3 as well.

In at least one embodiment, upon the patient application 3 determiningthat the at least one pill magazine 13 of the pill storage container 12is empty or running low, the patient application 3 notifies the patientthat a new prescription (or alternatively, a refill) is required. In atleast one such embodiment, where the patient application 3 is inselective communication with the at least one clinician device 8, thepatient application 3 also notifies the associated clinician that a newprescription (or alternatively, a refill) is required. The process ofremoving the empty pill magazine 13 from the pill storage container 12and inserting a full pill magazine 13, in accordance with at least oneembodiment, is sequentially illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6D.

In at least one embodiment, as illustrated in the simplified schematicview of FIG. 9, the system 20 also provides an at least one monitoringdevice 26 in selective communication with the patient device 1 andconfigured for assisting the patient application 3 with monitoring oneor more vitals associated with the patient, in order to better managethe distribution of pills 14 to the patient. In at least one suchembodiment, the at least one monitoring device 26 is a respiratorymonitor positioned and configured for assisting the patient application3 with monitoring a breathing rate of the patient, utilizing acousticrespiratory monitoring or impedance respiratory monitoring for example.In further embodiments, the at least one monitoring device 26 mayinclude any other type of device, sensor, or combination thereof—nowknown or later developed—capable of substantially carrying out thefunctionality described herein. In at least one embodiment, the patientdevice 1 and the at least one monitoring device 26 are one and thesame—as such, it is intended that those terms as used herein are to beinterchangeable with one another. In at least one embodiment, asillustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 10, upon the patient application3 determining that the at least one monitored vital falls below or risesabove a pre-defined vital threshold (1008)—i.e., if the at least onemonitored vital is determined to be abnormal—the patient application 3attempts to notify the patient using at least one of an audible, visualand/or vibrational alert via the patient device 1 (1014). In at leastone embodiment, the patient application 3 will also transmit anotification to the at least one associated clinician device 8 (1012).Additionally, in at least one embodiment, if the patient fails to timelyrespond to the notification via the patient application 3 (1016),depending on the degree of abnormality in the at least one monitoredvital (1018)—for example, where the patient application 3 determinesthat the patient is not breathing—the patient application 3automatically alerts local emergency personnel and provides thepatient's current location based on the GPS location of the patientdevice 1 (1020). Additionally, in at least one embodiment, upon thepatient application 3 determining that the at least one monitored vitalis abnormal (1008), the patient application 3 may temporarily suspendfuture distributions of the pills 14 (1010) until the at least onemonitored vital returns to normal. In this way, the patient application3 is able to monitor the effects of the pills 14 and automaticallyrespond accordingly. Similarly, in at least one embodiment, upon thepatient application 3 determining that the patient is not properly usingthe at least one monitoring device 26 (1002)—for example, if the user isnot wearing the at least one monitoring device 26 in the properposition, or not wearing the at least one monitoring device 26 atall—the patient application 3 attempts to notify the patient using atleast one of an audible, visual and/or vibrational alert via the patientdevice 1 (1006) and may also temporarily suspend future distributions ofthe pills 14 (1004) until the patient begins using the at least onemonitoring device 26 properly.

In at least one embodiment, the system 20 further provides an at leastone database 28 in selective communication with the patient device 1 andconfigured for storing data obtained by each of the patient application3 and the at least one monitoring device 26, as discussed above. In atleast one embodiment, the patient device 1 and database 28 are one andthe same—as such, it is intended that those terms as used herein are tobe interchangeable with one another as well.

Aspects of the present specification may also be described as follows:

1. A method for administering a pill dispensing system for managing thedistribution of pills to a patient, the method comprising the steps of:implementing an at least one tamper-proof pill storage container thatprovides an at least one pill magazine positioned within a housing ofthe pill storage container and configured for storing and selectivelydispensing a plurality of pills through a pill outlet provided by thehousing; implementing a patient application residing in memory on an atleast one patient device under the control of the patient, the patientapplication in selective communication with the at least one pillstorage container; implementing an at least one monitoring device inselective communication with the patient application, the at least onemonitoring device configured for assisting the patient application withmonitoring an at least one vital of the patient; obtaining from thepatient, via the patient application, a security code; obtaining fromthe patient, via an at least one biometric sensor provided by at leastone of the at least one patient device and the at least one pill storagecontainer, an at least one biometric marker associated with the patient;registering, via the patient application, a prescription associated withthe pills contained within the at least one pill magazine of the atleast one pill storage container, said prescription including a dosageinterval and a dosage quantity; upon the patient application determiningthat a dosage of the pills is available for the patient, based on theassociated dosage interval: notifying the patient via at least one of anaudible alert, a visual alert and a vibrational alert via the at leastone patient device; obtaining from the patient the security code;obtaining from the patient the at least one biometric marker; and uponthe patient application authenticating the security code and the atleast one biometric marker: transmitting a signal, via the patientapplication, to the at least one pill storage container, instructingsaid pill storage container to distribute a quantity of pills equal tothe associated dosage quantity; and upon said pill storage containerdistributing the pills to the patient: transmitting a signal, via saidpill storage container, back to the patient application; and scheduling,via the patient application, a future dosage of the pills based on theassociated dosage interval; and upon the patient application determiningthat the at least one monitored vital is abnormal: notifying the patientvia at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and a vibrationalalert via the at least one patient device; and temporarily suspendingfuture dosages of the pills until the patient application determinesthat said monitored vital has returned to normal.

2. The method according to embodiment 1, wherein the step of obtainingan at least one biometric marker associated with the patient furthercomprises the step of obtaining at least one of a fingerprint of thepatient, a facial image of the patient, a retinal image of the patient,and an iris image of the patient.

3. The method according to embodiments 1-2, wherein the step ofregistering a prescription associated with the pills further comprisesthe step of processing, via the patient application, a uniqueprescription code associated with the pills, said prescription codecontaining the dosage interval and the dosage quantity.

4. The method according to embodiments 1-3, wherein the step ofprocessing a unique prescription code associated with the pills furthercomprises the step of scanning a visual barcode associated with thepills using a camera of the at least one patient device, said visualbarcode containing the dosage interval and the dosage quantity.

5. The method according to embodiments 1-4, further comprising the stepof encrypting, via the patient application, each of the biometricmarker, security code and prescription code with a unique hash value tobe stored in each of the at least one patient device and the associatedat least one pill storage container, thereby establishing a unique linktherebetween.

6. The method according to embodiments 1-5, wherein the step ofinstructing said pill storage container to distribute a quantity ofpills equal to the associated dosage quantity further comprises the stepof requiring the patient to activate an actuator positioned on thehousing of said pill storage container in order for the pills to bedistributed.

7. The method according to embodiments 1-6, further comprising the stepof, upon said pill storage container distributing the pills to thepatient, recording, via the patient application, a date, time and dosagequantity associated with the distributed pills.

8. The method according to embodiments 1-7, wherein the patientapplication is further in selective communication with an at least oneclinician device under the control of a clinician tasked with monitoringthe patient's proper consumption of the pills, the at least oneclinician device capable of receiving data related to the distributionof pills to the patient, as well as transmitting dosage interval anddosage quantity changes to the patient application.

9. The method according to embodiments 1-8, wherein the step of thepatient application determining that the at least one monitored vital isabnormal further comprises the step of notifying the at least oneclinician device, via the patient application, of the abnormal vital.

10. The method according to embodiments 1-9, further comprising the stepof, upon the patient application determining that the at least one pillmagazine of the at least one pill storage container is empty or runninglow, automatically notifying at least one of the patient and clinicianthat a new prescription or refill is required.

11. The method according to embodiments 1-10, further comprising thestep of, upon the at least one pill storage container being tamperedwith, automatically releasing an at least one tamper-proof substancewithin said pill storage container in order to render the pills inert,inactive or intolerable.

12. The method according to embodiments 1-11, wherein the step ofreleasing an at least one tamper-proof substance further comprises thestep of releasing cyanoacrylate.

13. The method according to embodiments 1-12, wherein the step ofreleasing an at least one tamper-proof substance further comprises thestep of releasing methyl methacrylate.

14. The method according to embodiments 1-13, wherein the step ofimplementing an at least one monitoring device further comprises thestep of implementing an at least one respiratory monitor positioned andconfigured for obtaining a breathing rate of the patient.

15. The method according to embodiments 1-14, wherein the step of thepatient application determining that the at least one monitored vital isabnormal further comprises the step of, upon the patient applicationfailing to receive a response from the patient within a pre-definedperiod of time, automatically alerting, via the patient application,local emergency personnel.

16. The method according to embodiments 1-15, further comprising thestep of, upon the patient application determining that the patient isnot properly using the at least one monitoring device: notifying thepatient via at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and avibrational alert via the at least one patient device; and temporarilysuspending future dosages of the pills until the patient applicationdetermines that the patient is properly using the at least onemonitoring device.

17. A method for administering a pill dispensing system for managing thedistribution of pills to a patient, the method comprising the steps of:implementing an at least one tamper-proof pill storage container thatprovides an at least one pill magazine positioned within a housing ofthe pill storage container and configured for storing and selectivelydispensing a plurality of pills through a pill outlet provided by thehousing; implementing a patient application residing in memory on an atleast one patient device under the control of the patient, the patientapplication in selective communication with the at least one pillstorage container; implementing an at least one respiratory monitor inselective communication with the patient application, the at least onerespiratory monitor configured for assisting the patient applicationwith monitoring a breathing rate of the patient; obtaining from thepatient, via the patient application, a security code; obtaining fromthe patient, via an at least one biometric sensor provided by at leastone of the at least one patient device and the at least one pill storagecontainer, an at least one biometric marker associated with the patient;registering, via the patient application, a prescription associated withthe pills contained within the at least one pill magazine of the atleast one pill storage container, said prescription including a dosageinterval and a dosage quantity; upon the patient application determiningthat a dosage of the pills is available for the patient, based on theassociated dosage interval: notifying the patient via at least one of anaudible alert, a visual alert and a vibrational alert via the at leastone patient device; obtaining from the patient the security code;obtaining from the patient the at least one biometric marker; and uponthe patient application authenticating the security code and the atleast one biometric marker: transmitting a signal, via the patientapplication, to the at least one pill storage container, instructingsaid pill storage container to distribute a quantity of pills equal tothe associated dosage quantity; and upon said pill storage containerdistributing the pills to the patient: transmitting a signal, via saidpill storage container, back to the patient application; and scheduling,via the patient application, a future dosage of the pills based on theassociated dosage interval; and upon the patient application determiningthat the breathing rate of the patient is abnormal: notifying thepatient via at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and avibrational alert via the at least one patient device; and temporarilysuspending future dosages of the pills until the patient applicationdetermines that the breathing rate of the patient has returned tonormal.

18. A pill dispensing system for managing the distribution of pills to apatient, the system comprising: an at least one tamper-proof pillstorage container that provides an at least one pill magazine positionedwithin a housing of the pill storage container and configured forstoring and selectively dispensing a plurality of pills through a pilloutlet provided by the housing; a patient application residing in memoryon an at least one patient device under the control of the patient, thepatient application in selective communication with the at least onepill storage container; and an at least one monitoring device inselective communication with the patient application, the at least onemonitoring device configured for assisting the patient application withmonitoring an at least one vital of the patient; wherein, upon thepatient desiring to utilize the system to manage the distribution ofpills, the system is configured for: obtaining from the patient, via thepatient application, a security code; obtaining from the patient, via anat least one biometric sensor provided by at least one of the at leastone patient device and the at least one pill storage container, an atleast one biometric marker associated with the patient; registering, viathe patient application, a prescription associated with the pillscontained within the at least one pill magazine of the at least one pillstorage container, said prescription including a dosage interval and adosage quantity; upon the patient application determining that a dosageof the pills is available for the patient, based on the associateddosage interval: notifying the patient via at least one of an audiblealert, a visual alert and a vibrational alert via the at least onepatient device; obtaining from the patient the security code; obtainingfrom the patient the at least one biometric marker; and upon the patientapplication authenticating the security code and the at least onebiometric marker: transmitting a signal, via the patient application, tothe at least one pill storage container, instructing said pill storagecontainer to distribute a quantity of pills equal to the associateddosage quantity; and upon said pill storage container distributing thepills to the patient: transmitting a signal, via said pill storagecontainer, back to the patient application; and scheduling, via thepatient application, a future dosage of the pills based on theassociated dosage interval; and upon the patient application determiningthat the at least one monitored vital is abnormal: notifying the patientvia at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and a vibrationalalert via the at least one patient device; and temporarily suspendingfuture dosages of the pills until the patient application determinesthat said monitored vital has returned to normal.

19. The pill dispensing system according to embodiment 18, wherein whileobtaining an at least one biometric marker associated with the patient,the system is further configured for obtaining at least one of afingerprint of the patient, a facial image of the patient, a retinalimage of the patient, and an iris image of the patient.

20. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-19, whereinwhile registering a prescription associated with the pills, the systemis further configured for processing, via the patient application, aunique prescription code associated with the pills, said prescriptioncode containing the dosage interval and the dosage quantity.

21. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-20, whereinwhile processing a unique prescription code associated with the pills,the system is further configured for scanning a visual barcodeassociated with the pills using a camera of the at least one patientdevice, said visual barcode containing the dosage interval and thedosage quantity.

22. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-21, whereinthe system is further configured for encrypting, via the patientapplication, each of the biometric marker, security code andprescription code with a unique hash value to be stored in each of theat least one patient device and the associated at least one pill storagecontainer, thereby establishing a unique link therebetween.

23. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-22, whereinwhile instructing said pill storage container to distribute a quantityof pills equal to the associated dosage quantity, the system is furtherconfigured for requiring the patient to activate an actuator positionedon the housing of said pill storage container in order for the pills tobe distributed.

24. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-23, whereinupon said pill storage container distributing the pills to the patient,the system is further configured for recording, via the patientapplication, a date, time and dosage quantity associated with thedistributed pills.

25. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-24, whereinthe patient application is further in selective communication with an atleast one clinician device under the control of a clinician tasked withmonitoring the patient's proper consumption of the pills, the at leastone clinician device capable of receiving data related to thedistribution of pills to the patient, as well as transmitting dosageinterval and dosage quantity changes to the patient application.

26. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-25, whereinwhile determining that the at least one monitored vital is abnormal, thesystem is further configured for notifying the at least one cliniciandevice, via the patient application, of the abnormal vital.

27. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-26, whereinupon the patient application determining that the at least one pillmagazine of the at least one pill storage container is empty or runninglow, the system is further configured for automatically notifying atleast one of the patient and clinician that a new prescription or refillis required.

28. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-27, whereinupon the at least one pill storage container being tampered with, thesystem is further configured for automatically releasing an at least onetamper-proof substance within said pill storage container in order torender the pills inert, inactive or intolerable.

29. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-28, whereinthe at least one tamper-proof substance is cyanoacrylate.

30. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-29, whereinthe at least one tamper-proof substance is methyl methacrylate.

31. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-30, whereinthe at least one monitoring device is an at least one respiratorymonitor positioned and configured for obtaining a breathing rate of thepatient.

32. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-31, whereinwhile determining that the at least one monitored vital is abnormal, thesystem is further configured for, upon the patient application failingto receive a response from the patient within a pre-defined period oftime, automatically alerting, via the patient application, localemergency personnel.

33. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-32, whereinthe system if further configured for, upon the patient applicationdetermining that the patient is not properly using the at least onemonitoring device: notifying the patient via at least one of an audiblealert, a visual alert and a vibrational alert via the at least onepatient device; and temporarily suspending future dosages of the pillsuntil the patient application determines that the patient is properlyusing the at least one monitoring device.

34. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-33, whereinthe at least one pill magazine is spring-loaded.

35. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-34, whereinthe at least one pill magazine is in mechanical communication with adrive shaft positioned and configured for ejecting at least one pillfrom said pill magazine through the pill outlet of the at least one pillstorage container.

36. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-35, whereinthe at least one pill storage container further provides: an at leastone power source in electrical communication with a solenoid; and amagazine drive shaft in operable connection with the drive shaft which,in turn, is in operable connection with the solenoid.

37. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-36, whereinthe at least one power source is a battery.

38. The pill dispensing system according to embodiments 18-37, whereinthe housing of the at least one pill storage container further providesa selectively lockable outlet cover positioned and configured forselectively restricting access to the pill outlet.

In closing, regarding the exemplary embodiments of the present inventionas shown and described herein, it will be appreciated that atamper-proof pill dispenser system, along with associated methods ofuse, is disclosed. Because the principles of the invention may bepracticed in a number of configurations beyond those shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that the invention is not in any waylimited by the exemplary embodiments and is able to take numerous formswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It willalso be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the presentinvention is not limited to the particular geometries and materials ofconstruction disclosed, but may instead entail other functionallycomparable structures or materials, now known or later developed,without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Furthermore, the various features of each of the above-describedembodiments may be combined in any logical manner and are intended to beincluded within the scope of the present invention.

Certain embodiments of the present invention are described herein,including the best mode known to the inventor(s) for carrying out theinvention. Of course, variations on these described embodiments willbecome apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading theforegoing description. The inventor(s) expect skilled artisans to employsuch variations as appropriate, and the inventor(s) intend for thepresent invention to be practiced otherwise than specifically describedherein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications andequivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended heretoas permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of theabove-described embodiments in all possible variations thereof isencompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Groupings of alternative embodiments, elements, or steps of the presentinvention are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member maybe referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with othergroup members disclosed herein. It is anticipated that one or moremembers of a group may be included in, or deleted from, a group forreasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion ordeletion occurs, the specification is deemed to contain the group asmodified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groupsused in the appended claims.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing a characteristic,item, quantity, parameter, property, term, and so forth used in thepresent specification and claims are to be understood as being modifiedin all instances by the term “about.” As used herein, the term “about”means that the characteristic, item, quantity, parameter, property, orterm so qualified encompasses a range of plus or minus ten percent aboveand below the value of the stated characteristic, item, quantity,parameter, property, or term. Accordingly, unless indicated to thecontrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification andattached claims are approximations that may vary. At the very least, andnot as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine ofequivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical indication shouldat least be construed in light of the number of reported significantdigits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstandingthat the numerical ranges and values setting forth the broad scope ofthe invention are approximations, the numerical ranges and values setforth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible.Any numerical range or value, however, inherently contains certainerrors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in theirrespective testing measurements. Recitation of numerical ranges ofvalues herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate numerical value falling withinthe range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value of anumerical range is incorporated into the present specification as if itwere individually recited herein. Similarly, as used herein, unlessindicated to the contrary, the term “substantially” is a term of degreeintended to indicate an approximation of the characteristic, item,quantity, parameter, property, or term so qualified, encompassing arange that can be understood and construed by those of ordinary skill inthe art.

Use of the terms “may” or “can” in reference to an embodiment or aspectof an embodiment also carries with it the alternative meaning of “maynot” or “cannot.” As such, if the present specification discloses thatan embodiment or an aspect of an embodiment may be or can be included aspart of the inventive subject matter, then the negative limitation orexclusionary proviso is also explicitly meant, meaning that anembodiment or an aspect of an embodiment may not be or cannot beincluded as part of the inventive subject matter. In a similar manner,use of the term “optionally” in reference to an embodiment or aspect ofan embodiment means that such embodiment or aspect of the embodiment maybe included as part of the inventive subject matter or may not beincluded as part of the inventive subject matter. Whether such anegative limitation or exclusionary proviso applies will be based onwhether the negative limitation or exclusionary proviso is recited inthe claimed subject matter.

The terms “a,” “an,” “the” and similar references used in the context ofdescribing the present invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. Further, ordinal indicators—such as “first,” “second,” “third,”etc.—for identified elements are used to distinguish between theelements, and do not indicate or imply a required or limited number ofsuch elements, and do not indicate a particular position or order ofsuch elements unless otherwise specifically stated. All methodsdescribed herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided herein is intended merely to better illuminate the presentinvention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the inventionotherwise claimed. No language in the present specification should beconstrued as indicating any non-claimed element essential to thepractice of the invention.

When used in the claims, whether as filed or added per amendment, theopen-ended transitional term “comprising” (along with equivalentopen-ended transitional phrases thereof such as “including,”“containing” and “having”) encompasses all the expressly recitedelements, limitations, steps and/or features alone or in combinationwith un-recited subject matter; the named elements, limitations and/orfeatures are essential, but other unnamed elements, limitations and/orfeatures may be added and still form a construct within the scope of theclaim. Specific embodiments disclosed herein may be further limited inthe claims using the closed-ended transitional phrases “consisting of”or “consisting essentially of” in lieu of or as an amendment for“comprising.” When used in the claims, whether as filed or added peramendment, the closed-ended transitional phrase “consisting of” excludesany element, limitation, step, or feature not expressly recited in theclaims. The closed-ended transitional phrase “consisting essentially of”limits the scope of a claim to the expressly recited elements,limitations, steps and/or features and any other elements, limitations,steps and/or features that do not materially affect the basic and novelcharacteristic(s) of the claimed subject matter. Thus, the meaning ofthe open-ended transitional phrase “comprising” is being defined asencompassing all the specifically recited elements, limitations, stepsand/or features as well as any optional, additional unspecified ones.The meaning of the closed-ended transitional phrase “consisting of” isbeing defined as only including those elements, limitations, stepsand/or features specifically recited in the claim, whereas the meaningof the closed-ended transitional phrase “consisting essentially of” isbeing defined as only including those elements, limitations, stepsand/or features specifically recited in the claim and those elements,limitations, steps and/or features that do not materially affect thebasic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed subject matter.Therefore, the open-ended transitional phrase “comprising” (along withequivalent open-ended transitional phrases thereof) includes within itsmeaning, as a limiting case, claimed subject matter specified by theclosed-ended transitional phrases “consisting of” or “consistingessentially of.” As such, embodiments described herein or so claimedwith the phrase “comprising” are expressly or inherently unambiguouslydescribed, enabled and supported herein for the phrases “consistingessentially of” and “consisting of.”

All patents, patent publications, and other publications referenced andidentified in the present specification are individually and expresslyincorporated herein by reference in their entirety for the purpose ofdescribing and disclosing, for example, the compositions andmethodologies described in such publications that might be used inconnection with the present invention. These publications are providedsolely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the presentapplication. Nothing in this regard should be construed as an admissionthat the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure byvirtue of prior invention or for any other reason. All statements as tothe date or representation as to the contents of these documents isbased on the information available to the applicants and does notconstitute any admission as to the correctness of the dates or contentsof these documents.

It should be understood that the logic code, programs, modules,processes, methods, and the order in which the respective elements ofeach method are performed are purely exemplary. Depending on theimplementation, they may be performed in any order or in parallel,unless indicated otherwise in the present disclosure. Further, the logiccode is not related, or limited to any particular programming language,and may comprise one or more modules that execute on one or moreprocessors in a distributed, non-distributed, or multiprocessingenvironment.

The methods as described above may be used in the fabrication ofintegrated circuit chips. The resulting integrated circuit chips can bedistributed by the fabricator in raw wafer form (that is, as a singlewafer that has multiple unpackaged chips), as a bare die, or in apackaged form. In the latter case, the chip is mounted in a single chippackage (such as a plastic carrier, with leads that are affixed to amotherboard or other higher level carrier) or in a multi-chip package(such as a ceramic carrier that has either or both surfaceinterconnections or buried interconnections). In any case, the chip isthen integrated with other chips, discrete circuit elements, and/orother signal processing devices as part of either (a) an intermediateproduct, such as a motherboard, or (b) an end product. The end productcan be any product that includes integrated circuit chips, ranging fromtoys and other low-end applications to advanced computer products havinga display, a keyboard or other input device, and a central processor.

While aspects of the invention have been described with reference to atleast one exemplary embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by thoseskilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather,the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction withthe appended claims and it is made clear, here, that the inventor(s)believe that the claimed subject matter is the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for administering a pill dispensingsystem for managing the distribution of pills to a patient, the methodcomprising the steps of: implementing an at least one tamper-proof pillstorage container that provides an at least one pill magazine positionedwithin a housing of the pill storage container and configured forstoring and selectively dispensing a plurality of pills through a pilloutlet provided by the housing; implementing a patient applicationresiding in memory on an at least one patient device under the controlof the patient, the patient application in selective communication withthe at least one pill storage container; implementing an at least onemonitoring device in selective communication with the patientapplication, the at least one monitoring device configured for assistingthe patient application with monitoring an at least one vital of thepatient; obtaining from the patient, via the patient application, asecurity code; obtaining from the patient, via an at least one biometricsensor provided by at least one of the at least one patient device andthe at least one pill storage container, an at least one biometricmarker associated with the patient; registering, via the patientapplication, a prescription associated with the pills contained withinthe at least one pill magazine of the at least one pill storagecontainer, said prescription including a dosage interval and a dosagequantity; upon the patient application determining that a dosage of thepills is available for the patient, based on the associated dosageinterval: notifying the patient via at least one of an audible alert, avisual alert and a vibrational alert via the at least one patientdevice; obtaining from the patient the security code; obtaining from thepatient the at least one biometric marker; and upon the patientapplication authenticating the security code and the at least onebiometric marker: transmitting a signal, via the patient application, tothe at least one pill storage container, instructing said pill storagecontainer to distribute a quantity of pills equal to the associateddosage quantity; and upon said pill storage container distributing thepills to the patient: transmitting a signal, via said pill storagecontainer, back to the patient application; and scheduling, via thepatient application, a future dosage of the pills based on theassociated dosage interval; and upon the patient application determiningthat the at least one monitored vital is abnormal: notifying the patientvia at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and a vibrationalalert via the at least one patient device; and temporarily suspendingfuture dosages of the pills until the patient application determinesthat said monitored vital has returned to normal.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the step of obtaining an at least one biometric markerassociated with the patient further comprises the step of obtaining atleast one of a fingerprint of the patient, a facial image of thepatient, a retinal image of the patient, and an iris image of thepatient.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of registering aprescription associated with the pills further comprises the step ofprocessing, via the patient application, a unique prescription codeassociated with the pills, said prescription code containing the dosageinterval and the dosage quantity.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thestep of processing a unique prescription code associated with the pillsfurther comprises the step of scanning a visual barcode associated withthe pills using a camera of the at least one patient device, said visualbarcode containing the dosage interval and the dosage quantity.
 5. Themethod of claim 3, further comprising the step of encrypting, via thepatient application, each of the biometric marker, security code andprescription code with a unique hash value to be stored in each of theat least one patient device and the associated at least one pill storagecontainer, thereby establishing a unique link therebetween.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the step of instructing said pill storagecontainer to distribute a quantity of pills equal to the associateddosage quantity further comprises the step of requiring the patient toactivate an actuator positioned on the housing of said pill storagecontainer in order for the pills to be distributed.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising the step of, upon said pill storagecontainer distributing the pills to the patient, recording, via thepatient application, a date, time and dosage quantity associated withthe distributed pills.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the patientapplication is further in selective communication with an at least oneclinician device under the control of a clinician tasked with monitoringthe patient's proper consumption of the pills, the at least oneclinician device capable of receiving data related to the distributionof pills to the patient, as well as transmitting dosage interval anddosage quantity changes to the patient application.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the step of the patient application determining thatthe at least one monitored vital is abnormal further comprises the stepof notifying the at least one clinician device, via the patientapplication, of the abnormal vital.
 10. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising the step of, upon the patient application determining thatthe at least one pill magazine of the at least one pill storagecontainer is empty or running low, automatically notifying at least oneof the patient and clinician that a new prescription or refill isrequired.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of,upon the at least one pill storage container being tampered with,automatically releasing an at least one tamper-proof substance withinsaid pill storage container in order to render the pills inert, inactiveor intolerable.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step ofreleasing an at least one tamper-proof substance further comprises thestep of releasing cyanoacrylate.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein thestep of releasing an at least one tamper-proof substance furthercomprises the step of releasing methyl methacrylate.
 14. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the step of implementing an at least one monitoringdevice further comprises the step of implementing an at least onerespiratory monitor positioned and configured for obtaining a breathingrate of the patient.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of thepatient application determining that the at least one monitored vital isabnormal further comprises the step of, upon the patient applicationfailing to receive a response from the patient within a pre-definedperiod of time, automatically alerting, via the patient application,local emergency personnel.
 16. The method of claim 1, further comprisingthe step of, upon the patient application determining that the patientis not properly using the at least one monitoring device: notifying thepatient via at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and avibrational alert via the at least one patient device; and temporarilysuspending future dosages of the pills until the patient applicationdetermines that the patient is properly using the at least onemonitoring device.
 17. A method for administering a pill dispensingsystem for managing the distribution of pills to a patient, the methodcomprising the steps of: implementing an at least one tamper-proof pillstorage container that provides an at least one pill magazine positionedwithin a housing of the pill storage container and configured forstoring and selectively dispensing a plurality of pills through a pilloutlet provided by the housing; implementing a patient applicationresiding in memory on an at least one patient device under the controlof the patient, the patient application in selective communication withthe at least one pill storage container; implementing an at least onerespiratory monitor in selective communication with the patientapplication, the at least one respiratory monitor configured forassisting the patient application with monitoring a breathing rate ofthe patient; obtaining from the patient, via the patient application, asecurity code; obtaining from the patient, via an at least one biometricsensor provided by at least one of the at least one patient device andthe at least one pill storage container, an at least one biometricmarker associated with the patient; registering, via the patientapplication, a prescription associated with the pills contained withinthe at least one pill magazine of the at least one pill storagecontainer, said prescription including a dosage interval and a dosagequantity; upon the patient application determining that a dosage of thepills is available for the patient, based on the associated dosageinterval: notifying the patient via at least one of an audible alert, avisual alert and a vibrational alert via the at least one patientdevice; obtaining from the patient the security code; obtaining from thepatient the at least one biometric marker; and upon the patientapplication authenticating the security code and the at least onebiometric marker: transmitting a signal, via the patient application, tothe at least one pill storage container, instructing said pill storagecontainer to distribute a quantity of pills equal to the associateddosage quantity; and upon said pill storage container distributing thepills to the patient: transmitting a signal, via said pill storagecontainer, back to the patient application; and scheduling, via thepatient application, a future dosage of the pills based on theassociated dosage interval; and upon the patient application determiningthat the breathing rate of the patient is abnormal: notifying thepatient via at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and avibrational alert via the at least one patient device; and temporarilysuspending future dosages of the pills until the patient applicationdetermines that the breathing rate of the patient has returned tonormal.
 18. A pill dispensing system for managing the distribution ofpills to a patient, the system comprising: an at least one tamper-proofpill storage container that provides an at least one pill magazinepositioned within a housing of the pill storage container and configuredfor storing and selectively dispensing a plurality of pills through apill outlet provided by the housing; a patient application residing inmemory on an at least one patient device under the control of thepatient, the patient application in selective communication with the atleast one pill storage container; and an at least one monitoring devicein selective communication with the patient application, the at leastone monitoring device configured for assisting the patient applicationwith monitoring an at least one vital of the patient; wherein, upon thepatient desiring to utilize the system to manage the distribution ofpills, the system is configured for: obtaining from the patient, via thepatient application, a security code; obtaining from the patient, via anat least one biometric sensor provided by at least one of the at leastone patient device and the at least one pill storage container, an atleast one biometric marker associated with the patient; registering, viathe patient application, a prescription associated with the pillscontained within the at least one pill magazine of the at least one pillstorage container, said prescription including a dosage interval and adosage quantity; upon the patient application determining that a dosageof the pills is available for the patient, based on the associateddosage interval: notifying the patient via at least one of an audiblealert, a visual alert and a vibrational alert via the at least onepatient device; obtaining from the patient the security code; obtainingfrom the patient the at least one biometric marker; and upon the patientapplication authenticating the security code and the at least onebiometric marker: transmitting a signal, via the patient application, tothe at least one pill storage container, instructing said pill storagecontainer to distribute a quantity of pills equal to the associateddosage quantity; and upon said pill storage container distributing thepills to the patient:  transmitting a signal, via said pill storagecontainer, back to the patient application; and  scheduling, via thepatient application, a future dosage of the pills based on theassociated dosage interval; and upon the patient application determiningthat the at least one monitored vital is abnormal: notifying the patientvia at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert and a vibrationalalert via the at least one patient device; and temporarily suspendingfuture dosages of the pills until the patient application determinesthat said monitored vital has returned to normal.
 19. The pilldispensing system of claim 18, wherein upon the at least one pillstorage container being tampered with, the system is further configuredfor automatically releasing an at least one tamper-proof substancewithin said pill storage container in order to render the pills inert,inactive or intolerable.
 20. The pill dispensing system of claim 18,wherein the at least one monitoring device is an at least onerespiratory monitor positioned and configured for obtaining a breathingrate of the patient.